Take My Hand
by loristamos
Summary: It's 1996 and Lori Loughlin is fresh out of her divorce. What happens when John's plan to relax her mind with a weekend trip turns upside down and they end up facing the truth that stands between them?


_**Disclaimer:**_ _This fic is purely a figment of our imagination and does not represent any true events to our knowledge. Rated M for VERY mild language and suggestive content. Just wanted to be on the safe side!_

"What do you mean you only booked a single occupancy room? I specifically requested adjoining rooms."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stamos. That's the only room we have for tonight."

"I got the email confirming an adjoining room this morning. _This morning_ ," John repeated, emphasizing his frustration. "There must be some mistake."

The hotel desk attendant shook his head, looking back at the computer.

"They have you down for room 515. That's the only open room."

"That's it! Let me speak to a manager," John demanded, banging on the desk and causing a scene. "This is completely unacceptable."

Lori reached out from behind him and placed her hand on his arm in an effort to calm John down.

"A single room is all you have and you're sure?" Lori asked politely.

"Yes. Room 515. One bed, a bathroom and a kitchenette."

"Is there a sofa or chair?" Lori pondered before turning beside her. "We'll make this work, John."

The guy shook his head.

"Not in this room."

"What kind of hotel is this?" Lori questioned in disbelief.

"The only hotel in this fucking town apparently. Although any other hotel could do their job fu—"

"That's enough." Lori ordered, placing her hand on John's arm again.

"We'll take it," Lori confirmed, leaving John to only mumble to the side. She then leaned in to whisper to the desk attendant as John began shooting his eyes down the hallway.

"Sorry for his temper. He hasn't slept the entire way here and we just got off a 12 hour flight. You'll have to excuse him," she whispered.

"No problem, Ms. Loughlin. I apologize again for the inconvenience."

"It's okay. We all make mistakes." Lori smiled as they handed her the room key.

Once the key was secured in her hand, she looked over and found John rolling his eyes as he stormed off to the elevator. Lori gave one last apologetic look at the desk attendant before hurrying to catch up with John.

"Can you believe this guy?" he muttered under his breath.

"John—"

"I've been at an endless number of hotels and this has never happened before."

"John..."

"And to think it has to happen right after what happened between you and Michael..."

John suddenly paused in step, Lori's attempt to edge in words soaring through his eardrums for the first time.

"Oh." He looked back at Lori. "You were saying?"

Lori shook her head and raised her eyebrows at his frustration.

"The bags, John. The bags."

John tilted his head. For a moment, he was completely oblivious to what she had been referring to, but within seconds, his eyes widened.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he apologized as he took his bags from Lori.

She had been pulling the entire seven bags of luggage all the way to the elevator.

As the elevator door closed in front of them, Lori looked back at John and smiled assuringly.

"I understand you're tired, but there's no need for you to get so worked up about the room. For crying out loud, our characters sleep in the same bed together. We'll be okay."

John couldn't help but smile back at her. After all, every time she smiled, he smiled. However, it faded slightly as he continued.

"But after the... after what happened, I just wanted to take you on this vacation so you could relax and I could see that lovely smile of yours."

Lori bobbed her head slightly, her smile brightening. She wanted to hold his hand in hers, but there was a bag gripped in it; instead, Lori let her head rest on John's shoulder for the rest of the elevator ride.

After a moment, she murmured, "You don't have to worry about that... You know every time I'm with you, I'm automatically happier than I was before."

John smiled.

She had been through so much lately and didn't deserve it. Yet here she was in the midst of all of it, taking it with stride, still enjoying herself and not complaining. She never complained. That was one of the many qualities he loved about her.

The door dinged as they reached their floor and John gathered his luggage.

"No, I've got them," John assured, also taking Lori's from her.

He couldn't believe he'd been so flustered and left her to carry everything before. This was her weekend. She deserved to be treated like a queen.

As she watched John lift the bags and pull them behind him, Lori's smile began to derive not only from happiness but also from a sense of security. There was always something about him that made her feel so safe. Protected. Powerful. Like no matter what happened, he was there to save her and she would have the strength to push through it.

The two of them continued down the hallway.

"505... 512... 517?" Lori paused and looked back. "Oh, there 'ya go. 515."

She pulled out the key and quickly unlocked the door so John could quickly place the bags down. "Home sweet home—for the next three days, anyway."

Lori held the door open for John and waited until he was completely inside before locking the door behind them.

She then walked to the window and pulled open the curtain.

"Hey, at least they pulled through with the ocean view," Lori affirmed. "What a beautiful day," she murmured, a sense of comfort in her voice.

However, she could hear rapid breathing behind her and she couldn't help but smirk. Lori went over to John who was sitting at the edge of the bed facing the window. She brought her hand up to his forehead, using her thumb to gently wipe the drops of sweat away.

"Ooh, is manly Stamos worn out from pulling seven bags to a hotel room?" she teased.

"Hey now! Those bags are extremely heavy. You don't pack light do you?" he joked back.

Lori rolled her eyes playfully. "I know. I carried them too because _someone_ was too busy throwing a diva-sized temper tantrum."

"It wasn't diva-sized...it was only a tiny temper tantrum," he corrected, smiling like a child finally admitting a lie.

"A temper tantrum nonetheless," Lori snickered pompously before turning to unpack her suitcase.

John got up and walked behind her.

"Hey, I'm sorry for back there. That wasn't how this is supposed to go. This is a calm, peaceful, no-stress weekend away, okay?" John spoke soothingly as he began rubbing her shoulders.

Lori paused what she was doing and closed her eyes, relaxing into the massage.

"Plus, who am I to throw a fit about sharing a hotel room with such a beautiful woman?"

There was a noticeable moment of silence as Lori could feel herself melt away from every deep caress John left on her shoulders down to her back. He hadn't intended it to be a full-on massage, but seeing Lori get so wrapped up and lost in it electrified John.

It took awhile, but Lori could begin to feel the need to bite back a moan, signaling it was time to pull away.

Lori turned around, which she soon found to be a mistake because it only led her to be pressed against John's body. Her eyes soon met his and they burned into each other's. Lori forced herself to take in a breath and she awkwardly bit her lip and tumbled out of the position.

"Phew..." she sighed under her breath, slightly teasingly. "How about we, erm," she rambled, breathy, "we pack... I mean, we unpack our bags and head down to the beach? It's a great day to be out and the ocean looks bright blue and the sun is not too bright and is probably setting soon and I'm sure..."

John could swear there were more and more words stumbling out of the brunette's mouth, but as he looked at Lori, he couldn't help but find his eyes trailing down to her lips, longing to press his against hers in a kiss.

Oh, how much he wanted to kiss her.

"John?" Lori asked, finally causing him to snap out of the trance he was in.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, giving her his full attention.

"There are only a few more hours until the sun sets and I'd hate for us to miss it!"

"Whatever you want, you'll get. This is all about you." He smiled as he turned to pick up his suitcase.

She couldn't help but glance over as he hoisted the heavy suitcase onto the bed, his arms flexing as he did so and his hands worked at the latch. The same hands that had just catered to her sore muscles just moments earlier.

And oh how she wished nothing more than for his hands to be back on her body.

She quickly turned away as he looked over at her. They almost made eye contact but thankfully didn't. Lori brushed her hair behind her ear, embarrassed.

"Hurry up if you want to get to the beach!" John teased, noticing how she had slowed down, although not realizing it was due to watching him.

As Lori pulled out her bikini and went into the bathroom to change, John pulled his bathing suit out, all the while his mind racing through what had just happened.

He knew he shouldn't act on his feelings for Lori. She was fresh out of a divorce and he wouldn't be much of a gentleman if he didn't give her time to heal. And to that moment, he wasn't aware of the reason behind the divorce; who would want to leave Lori? He didn't and would never understand.

Still, he felt something just now. And he knew Lori did too. In fact, in a way she instigated it. It was undeniable. Unquestionable. Inexplicable. He couldn't wait to see what would come next. It was sure to be interesting.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Lori announced, walking out from the bathroom in her bathing suit.

As John turned to look at her, he almost had to catch his breath. If he thought she was beautiful before, she was even more gorgeous now as she stood in her black bikini top and a cover up tied at her hip as she let her hair fall into beachy waves. She looked perfect.

Lori noticed John's stare and laughed as she waved her hand in front of him.

"My eyes are up here," she teased and John laughed.

"By the way, could you do me a favor and help put some of this on?" Lori handed him the bottle of tanning lotion she had just finished rubbing all over herself.

John squeezed a bit out of the bottle before placing it down on the table. Lori moved her hair away for him as he glided his hand across her shoulders and down her back, wondering how in the world his heart wasn't throbbing out of his chest.

 _This weekend was going to be absolute torture._

John forced himself to think of other things as he applied the ointment. Things that didn't involve the fact Lori was standing basically half-naked in front of him.

She thanked him as he handed the bottle back to her and then they were out the door.

* * *

"C'mon, Lori, the water's great! Don't tell me you're scared!" John teased.

Just a few minutes earlier, he had witnessed as Lori cutely dipped her feet in the water before jumping back with a squeal, startled by how cold it was. The sight had caused a smile to arise on John's face. However, as he looked back at Lori now, he realized she was leaning down as if to pick something up. He had clear sight of her chest and could immediately feel his heart skip a few beats. He quickly became lost in his own world until Lori's voice and darting eyes brought him back.

"Ha, you were pretty scared of the water until our Hawaii episode. Remember that?" she smirked. "I'm just picking up seashells, I'll join you soon."

"Ooooh," the word slipped out of John's mouth so easily. "You'll _join_ me," he wagged his eyebrows playfully.

Lori narrowed her eyes at John in contempt. "Must you always twist words like that?"

John shifted so his back was floating on the water.

He looked at Lori. "I'm John Stamos, what do you expect?" he stated easily with a wink.

Lori shook her head as she collected a few more seashells and placed them in her beach bag that laid next to their umbrella. Just a few souvenirs so she could remember this day forever. She turned and looked back at John splashing around in the water. She smiled and laughed at him as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, walking back toward the water.

"You look like you're having fun without me!" Lori called out to him. "I guess I'll stay over here," she teased.

John laughed. "Nice try," he scoffed, swimming over to her. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Oh the easy way or the hard way, huh? And what do those options consist of exactly?"

"You can either get in or I can drag you in."

Lori laughed before entering the water on her own free will.

As John watched Lori move closer to him, he couldn't help himself. His brain stopped functioning for a moment and without a second's hesitation, he found himself swimming his way over to her and lifting her into his arms, honeymoon style.

It took Lori a few minutes to process as she moved her head into the space between John's chin and neck, her laughter sending comforting vibrations through his body. John was walking deeper and deeper into the water, Lori secured in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she finally questioned in between giggles.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't run off and leave my side again. I don't like it when you aren't with me," John confessed rather casually; however, they both knew the deeper meaning in his words and Lori could feel her heart race as she continued resting her head peacefully on his shoulder.

He only let go of her when the water became so deep it touched the bottom of her back. He gently let her down so she could float next to him. However as soon as Lori was let on her own, she wrapped her hands around John's shoulders, gazing into his eyes. She then turned and looked up and all around, staring up at the sky and scenery behind them before finally looking back at John.

"This place is so beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here."

He smiled at her, wanting nothing more than to close the gap between them and kiss her in response. But he knew that wasn't a good idea for several reasons, so he didn't.

"It's nothing compared to you," he murmured back to her.

Lori smiled. He was always such a smooth talker. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

Lori found her eyes wandering from John's, down to his lips, and then back to his eyes. She sighed, content.

"You want to know something, John?" she spoke softly, her arms remaining comfortably around his neck.

"And what's that, Loughlin?" he responded sweetly.

"Somehow... whenever I'm with you, I just feel so safe. So loved. And I want to thank you for being that for me." Lori shifted her head back onto his shoulder. "Thank you..." Her eyes closed for a brief second.

John could feel his heart race once more. Lori was so close to him in that moment, part of him wanted to confess how he truly felt about her, while another part of him just wanted to be there for her as she needed him to be: a calm sanctuary she could rely on for anything.

John thought for a second before finally deciding. "You know seeing you happy is one of my top priorities in life." His voice lowered a bit into a murmur as Lori pulled back and caught his eyes. "I just want you to be happy. I really care about you, Lori."

Lori smiled gently. "You really mean that, don't you..." she breathed.

John's head tilt and small smile was all she needed to know the answer.

"Oh, and Lori?" John snapped her out of her daydream.

"Yes?"

Without another word, John splashed water on Lori before beginning to swim away.

"Catch me if you can!"

Lori giggled and raced after him. When she caught up to him she splashed him before jumping on his back and dunking him into the water. She laughed at how ridiculous they must have looked. But what could she say? John brought out the teenager in her. The same one that had went with him to Disneyland. The thrill seeker. The one that didn't care who was watching. He made her feel alive.

They splashed around for about an hour before the sunset began turning day into night.

John got out of the water first, grabbing towels from their spot on the beach and then returning to offer a hand to Lori. He pulled her up out of the water and then handed her a towel too. They both dried off and Lori tied her cover up back around her waist before looking up at the sunset.

John was going to ask Lori whether she wanted to stay on the beach longer or go directly to dinner, but when he caught eye of her sitting on the sand, intently staring up at the sunset, he realized he already knew the answer.

John seated himself beside Lori and allowed a peaceful silence to fall between them. The co-stars stared up at the sunset together for a moment. Their eyes were steady, looking to the horizon as the sky began to paint a soft array of pink, orange and yellow. The glow of the moon was beginning to show and soon reflected onto their faces. It truly was beautiful.

Soon, there was a gentle brush on John's hand that sent a chill down his spine. When he looked down and found Lori's hand finding his, he looked up at Lori, searching for an explanation; however, for once, he didn't find one. Her facial expression had remained the same as it was just moments earlier. But he did know one thing: her words from earlier mirrored nothing but the truth. Lori really did trust him.

Lori's chain of thoughts remained unbroken, until suddenly her vision of the setting sun was obstructed, instead enclosing on the hand in front of her.

She hadn't realized that John had stood up from beside her.

"Would you care for a walk?" his voice hummed and Lori returned with a soft nod yes.

Lori grabbed his hand in hers and John began taking the lead, making his way to the coastline.

They walked for a few minutes, hand in hand, until John finally spoke.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice remained gentle. Assuring. As if promising that he wouldn't judge her; hurt her; allow himself to be hurt by her. He was just there as open ears for her.

Lori stopped and looked up at John for a moment, wondering whether or not to combat his affirmation that she had been lost in her thoughts. But she soon decided not to. There was no use. He knew.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Lori sighed as they continued walking, her hand subconsciously breaking away from John's. "This... all of this... it's kind of reminding me of one of the reasons my relationship with Michael ended the way it did."

John looked from Lori to the space in front of them. His eyebrows raised, startled. "Did I bring back painful memories for you? Because I didn't mean to—"

"No, no, absolutely not," Lori protested. "I've been having a great time, you know that. It's just that the situation..." She let out another breath, looking from John's eyes to the ground, and then back to his eyes, "it isn't really something that can be helped."

John still wasn't 100% sure what Lori had been speaking of, but he didn't want to pry. He gave her a small reassuring smile as they continued down the seashore.

They walked a little longer along the beach until Lori grew tired and rested her head on John's shoulder as she wrapped her arm securely around his.

"We should probably head back and change so we can get dinner," John suggested. Lori nodded in agreement.

* * *

John let Lori be the first to shower and she was thankful. It woke her up and made her feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the night. Lori rummaged through her suitcase and slipped on her favorite red dress. It always made her feel good whenever she wore it and it was perfect for an occasion like this. She then sat and reapplied her makeup in the mirrored door on the closet while she waited on John.

Thirty minutes later, John emerged from the bathroom. Lori laughed to herself: it always took him way longer to get ready.

She turned around to look at him and shook her head, giggling out loud. There he was, standing there in a pink shirt and white pants, the white pants just a little too tight and she approved; however, the shirt had to go.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his outfit.

"You can't wear that." Lori was trying her absolute hardest to contain her laughter.

"Why not? I thought it was a beachy look," he questioned innocently in defense.

Lori laughed as she walked over to him. "I'm wearing red. You can't wear pink. We'll clash."

"Who says I have to be the one to change?" he teased, looking up to see Lori's outfit.

Her red dress perfectly tugged at her curves.

It was his favorite.

"Okay, fine, you win," he declared. "But only because you look gorgeous."

Lori blushed at his compliment as he grabbed a different shirt out of his suitcase and changed.

* * *

Dinner went smoothly. There was a steady flow of conversation and jokes, which, thanks to their chemistry, came very naturally between the pair. And although Lori offered to pay for her share, John kept insisting he pay for the two of them, as it was "her treat anyway."

It was 11pm by the time they were back in their suite. Neither of them had discussed how they would be dealing with the sleeping arrangement, but it had definitely been spinning in their heads the entire day.

As John was by the mirror removing his watch, he could hear Lori struggling a distance away from him.

"Hey Lori, you good?"

"Yeah, but erm..." Lori paused with hesitation. "Would you help me with my zipper, please?"

John could feel heat rise through his body, but decided to push it away.

"Yep, of course," he answered immediately, before dropping his watch and making his way over to her.

As he stood behind her, he realized it was the same position they had been in earlier that day. But there was a small difference in the atmosphere. Due in part to the events that had unraveled that day, there was even more tension than they could have ever fathomed.

John's body was gently pressed behind Lori's as his fingers fumbled with the zipper on the back of her dress. He had swept her hair off to her left shoulder, which had elicited the scent of her perfume to fly into his nostrils.

It must have been the champagne they had that night, but seconds later, John impulsively leaned his lips by Lori's ear.

"You know, Lori..." he murmured softly beside it as his finger fully pulled down her zipper, "you looked really beautiful tonight."

John's words immediately sent a chill down Lori's spine.

He knew he shouldn't be doing this, making moves on a woman who had just recently gone through a divorce. He had sworn to himself countless times that day not to tinker with pulling through with those actions. But for some reason, he had also felt numerous times that day that somehow Lori wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her; that she was completely fine with sharing one suite with him; that the reason they hadn't discussed sleeping in the same bed was because they had both welcomed it. And as John watched Lori hum and even turn a slight shade of pink in response to his compliment, he knew his suspicions were correct.

And he just couldn't resist any longer.

Seconds later, Lori could feel the soft touch of John's lips slowly trailing from her right shoulder up the side of her neck. The sudden arousing sensation caused her to gasp and bite back a moan.

"Mmm..." Lori helplessly purred, her eyes closing as John released the pulled-down zipper from his finger and began caressing both her sides with his hands. "...John..." she breathed.

Lori then turned herself around to face him, the action startling John and causing his heart to skip a beat.

Before he knew it, Lori's arms found their way around his neck, her lips smashing into his. Her thumb began caressing the back of his neck, and she pushed her body in toward his, longing for his body against hers.

"Are... you... sure about this?" John asked in between kisses.

He wanted this. Badly. In fact, if he was being truly honest with himself, he had been waiting for this moment for fourteen years. Ever since their date in Disneyland when they made out on the Matterhorn and he knew they both could feel it. That spark.

Still, he hesitated as he reminded himself to respect her. Take care of her. Taking advantage of her would be going the completely opposite route.

Lori had begun trailing kisses down his cheek to the upper edge of his neck, leaving a bite mark they would have to deal with later.

"Just say yes or no—"

As if on cue, John's words were interrupted with one swift motion of Lori spinning and slamming John's back to the media chest in front of her, eliciting a small grunt of surprise from him and resulting in a few of their belongings crashing onto the floor.

There was a glint in Lori's eye as she smiled sexily. "...fuck yes," she simply hissed before taking lead and stroking her tongue along his bottom lip, demanding entrance.

John didn't watch but rather felt as Lori pressed herself so willingly against him and allowed her tongue to swirl around his. It was almost as if her body was doing a dance of freedom. Like she was finally set free from some cage that she had been trapped in for...

That's when John realized what was happening.

Memories of the day flashed through his mind. Lori acting as the only cure to John's temper; a playful yet seductive massage that had great potential to lead to much more; the applying of sunscreen on Lori's body; John carrying Lori honeymoon style before racing like best friends through the waves; watching the sunset together, their hands naturally meeting if by instinct; and, of course, walking along the seaside together, breaking down their walls to allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other.

The whole day was romantic. Sweet. Gentle. Welcoming. It was as if they were on a honeymoon of some sort, and they weren't just two co-stars, but two co-stars equally in love. The small looks he had given her, she had given him; the friendly but flirty lines and jokes had swayed ever so easily between them; his heart that beat with her so close to him, wanting so much more with each inch of contact, had the heart in front of him beating twice as fast.

After all, it had been seven years since Lori had been confined to the chains of marriage, unable to be released to the man whom, deep down, she had always known she was in love with since she was 17-years-old.

"Lori, you—"

This time, John's words were interrupted by Lori pulling her head back and meeting his eyes. John gulped. He waited for her to say something, anything, but instead she looked at him with eyes like daggers piercing into his soul. She searched his eyes for a moment, hers filled with nothing but desire. Anticipation. Lust. Lori gave him one last seductive grin before leaning behind him and turning on the CD player.

John's heart skipped a few beats _or did it? He wasn't in the proper mindset to judge_ as he could hear Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You," begin playing from the device behind them.

Oh well.

It was about time they took a detour.

To remind himself that yes, this is reality, John took a deep breath and scanned Lori head to toe before finally reaching down and grabbing her hand in his. She gave it a reassuring squeeze and John laid one kiss on it before leading her to what was fortunately the one and only bed in the suite.

John let Lori lie on the bed first. Once her back hit the bed, he took initiative to climb atop her, allowing his body to comfortably press against hers, their foreheads naturally finding their way to each other.

In the small enclosure of space, John finally spoke.

"So, this is your way of telling me that you..."

He let his voice trail.

Lori nodded cutely and innocently looked into John's eyes.

"What do you think?"

John let out a small laugh at the sincere curiosity in the attractive woman below him, causing her to bite her lip helplessly yet sexily.

 _...So, take my hand. Take my whole life too...for I can't help…_

He let the lyrics flowing out of the CD player chime into his ears as he gazed into her eyes one final time before finally pressing his lips dominantly but gently, comforting yet needing against hers.

"It's perfect," John murmured into the kiss.

 _...falling in love...with...you…_

Lori found herself smiling, her body easily relaxing as she wrapped her arms around John's neck, closed her eyes, and entrusted in the man in front of her to guide them to wherever their desires led.

Tongues battled, hair tousled, moans loudened, before, at last, Lori's nails dug into John's back, signaling him to slide his hands further and further up the sides of her legs, until eventually he pulled off the dress they had been toying with moments earlier up and over her head.

Good thing he had already adjusted her zipper.

It wasn't long before John was grunting and slamming into her, cursing her name and hearing the woman he had been in love with forever doing the same. _Man, my name never sounded so good, John thought to himself._

John made a mental note to apologize to the desk attendant from earlier.

Because thank fucking goodness for single occupancy rooms.


End file.
